AZN»Topics» A strong third quarter with sales up 9 percent and Earnings per Share up 52 percent: year end targets increased.

A strong third quarter with sales up 9 percent and Earnings per Share up 52
percent: year end targets increased.

Financial Highlights

Group

3 rd Quarter

3 rd Quarter

Actual

CER

9 Months

9 Months

Actual

CER

2005

2004

%

%

2005

2004

%

%

$m

$m

$m

$m

Sales

5,789

5,265

+10

+9

17,664

15,627

+13

+10

Operating Profit

1,695

1,172

+45

+45

4,866

3,276

+49

+44

Profit before Tax

1,743

1,419

*

+23

+23

4,978

3,549

*

+40

+36

Earnings per Share:

Before non-recurring items

$0.76

$0.51

+49

+52

$2.14

$1.46

+46

+42

Statutory

$0.76

$0.68

*

+12

+13

$2.14

$1.63

*

+31

+27

* There were two non-recurring items in Q3 2004,
which benefited profit before tax by $219 million and earnings per share by
$0.17. Excluding these benefits, earnings
per share increased 52 percent at CER in the third quarter and 42 percent for
the nine months compared with 2004. All
narrative in this section refers to growth rates at constant exchange rates
(CER) unless otherwise indicated

Third quarter sales increased by 9 percent to $5,789 million and operating profit increased by 45 percent to$1,695 million.